Heli-skiing is a relatively new development, generally credited to Hans Gmoser in 1965. It allows skiers to go skiing in a less artificial environment than a normal ski resort and feel like a movie star! You are taken by helicopter to a ‘wild’ area of the mountain where you will be directed by a guide on where to ski, to make sure you don’t go missing or hurt yourself anywhere. Although you may have seen James Bond jumping off the helicopter while it’s still in the air, so-called ‘hot loading’ is actually quite rare; unsurprising how dangerous it is!
All the same, even without the vertical drop onto the side of a mountain, heli-skiing still offers plenty of thrills as you get to experience a whole different type of terrain: far from the controlled areas you’re probably used to. As such, it is required that you are of at least intermediate level before you even attempt heli-skiing. The cost of the helicopter is rather large too, so make sure you’ve got a lot of money tucked away! Similarly, don’t expect to be going alone, it’s normally done in groups, which is good for you as it spreads the cost.
One last thing to be careful of – Heli-skiing is very different on the North American continent than in Europe. In the U.S. and Canada, expect to have the helicopter treated pretty much like a super-ski-lift and to be taken down paths that don’t involve much more than just your normal downward skiing skills. In Europe, you tend to be taken to a high peak and left to make your way back to the road (with a guide of course). This can involve a little bit of ski mountaineering. You have been warned!
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Photo credits: Photo by Circumerro.